Kansas City Royals vs
Baltimore OriolesPredictions & Preview

Kansas City Royals to Face Baltimore Orioles in American League Wild Card Series Opener, Betting Odds in Favor of Orioles

The Kansas City Royals will face off against the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a best-of-three American League Wild Card series. Kansas City finished the regular season with an 86-76 record, while Baltimore finished 91-71. The Orioles have won five of their last six games and swept their final series against Minnesota. Baltimore has the betting advantage as the current favorite at -146. The Royals will be without seven pitchers, while the Orioles will be missing six pitchers and second baseman Jorge Mateo. The starting pitchers for the game will be Cole Ragans for the Royals and Corbin Burnes for the Orioles. Kansas City will look to improve on their 4-2 record over their final six games of the season.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Royals +131 | Orioles -146
• Spread: Royals +1.5 (-175) | Orioles -1.5 (+155)
• Total: Over/Under 6.5 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Baltimore will win straight-up is 59%.

Kansas City vs Baltimore Stats

Kansas City Royals

Kansas City is performing well in various statistical categories during the regular season. They rank 10th in batting average, 12th in slugging percentage, and 13th in runs scored. Bobby Witt Jr leads the team in home runs and RBI, while Salvador Perez follows closely behind. The team has a solid amount of extra-base hits and is ranked 3rd in Quality Starts. Pitcher Seth Lugo has the most wins and the best ERA among starters. Overall, Kansas City has a power ranking of 18 and a record of 86-76 for the season, showcasing a strong offense and defense.

Baltimore Orioles Analysis

The Baltimore Orioles have had a successful regular season, ranking 3rd in slugging percentage, 4th in runs scored, 7th in batting average, and 11th in on-base percentage. Anthony Santander leads the team with 44 home runs and 102 RBI, while Gunnar Henderson follows closely with 37 home runs and 92 RBI. Baltimore has a total of 530 extra base hits in 162 games. They are 6th in Quality Starts and 11th in WHIP and batting average allowed. Corbin Burnes leads the team in wins, strikeouts, and starting pitcher ERA. The Orioles have a power ranking of 23 and rank 4th in offense, 17th in defense, and have an overall record of 91-71. In their last 3 matchups, Kansas City has won 2 out of 3 games against Baltimore.

Upcoming MLB Wildcard Series between Kansas City and Baltimore expected to be closely contested

The upcoming matchup between Kansas City and Baltimore in the MLB Wildcard series appears to be evenly matched. Both teams had similar regular season records, with Kansas City finishing 4th in the runline at 88-74, the same record as Baltimore. Kansas City had a slightly better ERA at 3.76 compared to Baltimore's 3.94. While Kansas City lagged behind in runs scored, Baltimore excelled in that area. Despite this, strong starting pitching can compensate for other weaknesses, and Tuesday's game is expected to be closely contested until the bullpens take over in the late innings. Although the outcome may not favor Kansas City, their starting pitcher, Cole Ragans, has had an impressive season with a 3.14 ERA and 223 strikeouts, while Baltimore's ace, Corbin Burnes, had a solid season with a 2.92 ERA and 181 strikeouts. Both pitchers finished the regular season strong, setting the stage for an exciting matchup on Tuesday.

Sources: [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]